It is also known as the ENS de Lyon, ENSL, or Normale Sup' Lyon. It is a French grande école situated in the city of Lyon. It is one of the four prominent écoles normales supérieures (higher-level secondary schools) in France. The institution is divided into two academic groups, Arts and Sciences, which are located on separate sites in Lyon, at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers.
Following very tough tests, ENSL students often qualify for special civil servant status, which they may use to pursue professions in the public sector if they so choose. Despite its close ties to the University of Lyon and other external research institutes, such as the CNRS, the school retains its independence from the university. As ranked by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings in 2016, ENSL was ranked as the world's 5th best "small university" in 2016.